Oke-ogun indigenes lay claim to Oyo governorship

INDIGENES of Oke-ogun geo-political zone at the weekend insisted that it was their turn to produce the next governor of Oyo State come next year.

Comprising professionals, community leaders, traditional rulers, religious leaders, politicians, youths and women who gathered at Okeho Town Hall, headquarters of Kajola council area for the 2018 Democracy Day organised by the OkeOgun Development Consultative Forum (ODCF), they warned that any attempt to zone the deputy governor slot to the area would be resisted.

Those who spoke at the gathering included the Aseyin of Iseyin, Oba Abdulganiy Adekunle Ologunebi; Onjo of Okeho, Oba Mustapha Osuolale; Aare of Ago Are; Onigboho of Igboho and Chief Gideon Afolabi.

Others were former TESCOM chairman in the state, Chief Abu Gbadamosi; Chief Gbade Adejumo, and Executive Head, Editorial Board of The Guardian, Mr. Debo Adesina.

While re-echoing their agitation for power shift from Ibadan, the Oke-ogun indigenes declared that they would only support any of the leading political parties that fields a person from the area.

The national president of ODCF, Dr. Zaccheaus Ajuwon, told newsmen that what was paramount in the minds of his people was to produce the next governor of the state next year.

Describing as unfair the second or third position the indigenes had occupied over the years, Ajuwon regretted that the region, which accounts for 10 of the state’s 33 local councils, has not produced a governor since 1999.

His words: “What is paramount to us now is to get the governorship ticket in 2019. So what is paramount in our heart is the governorship ticket. Senatorial or House of Representatives tickets are secondary.”